My five quid self inflating pillow has finally sprung a leak on a seam. I've grown to love my little pillow but ... it's not the lightest thing in the world at 160g, nor does it pack as small as I'd like. An air pillow (rather than a self inflating one) will obviously be lighter and pack smaller but I'm wondering how comfy they are. Has anyone tried both types or has anyone used an Exped or Mammut air pillow?

I know I could just stuff some clothes, etc in a drybag and use that for a pillow ... however I tend to feel that if I've got spare clothes that I'm not sleeping in, then I'm carrying too much stuff

I don't need much of a pillow so find that a dry bag, sealed with some air in it works pretty well. Also I would prefer to take another baselayer as a spare than carry a pillow, that way you can use it to keep warm or support your head.

I've tried a few things as pillows. Got a Mammut Ajungilak which is ok comfort-wise but at 140g doesn't often find it's way into my bag. I tried a Pacific Outdoor Pneumo dry bag with valve which you can inflate so it doubles up as a pillow. Only problem is that it wasn't air tight and tended to deflate within an hour or so . These days I do just tend to stick various bits of spare clothing into a small PHD stuff sack. I know what you mean about trying not to have spare clothing (and therefore unnecessary weight), but I never seem to achieve that!

http://www.actionoutdoors.co.uk/outdoor ... googlebase


a whole 74 grams.

I've got an exped one and it's ok but no better than any other inflatable pillow i've owned.
We've tried a few as we car camp for our 2-3 week summer holidays.
I've gone from a cheap flock covered millets one to a Vango self inflating one and now the Exped. All of them feel like you're sleeping on a balloon.
For car camping, we just buy a proper one for £5 from the local supermarket when we arrive in Europe and then ditch them at the end.
That being said, for bivvying the exped packs small and is light so i'll be using it on the bike.

Exped pillow, if you sleep on your side :) it's ace!



Usually hold it in place by pulling a t-shirt or something over the top of the mat and then slide it under.

It's just an idea and i've read that balloon beds are rubbish so it might not work but could you inflate a couple of balloons inside a dry bag. Be light and you already carry a drybag. :?:

Best I found for inflatable was 27g :D been on a slightly extreme gear buying mission

I quite like the Mammut one - it doesn't slip around too much and is reasonably comfy but does squeak a bit. I'm not bothered about the weight, cos a good night's sleep is worth it, I reckon. Nicer than a dirty dry bag stuffed with sweaty lycra, that's for sure.

How about this: http://www.balloonbed.com/pillows.html
No weight, but doesn't look like it'd be much.
And they're THREE for a fiver.

That looks like just the thing for sitting on when you've been in the saddle for a few days Ian!

Dual purpose, even better

Drybag, with a normal party balloon, covered with a buff.

Full length neoair with top folded over for full on luxury.

I'm planning to use an old wine box bag for WRT coz I am tight and it weighs nought! Need to get out in the next couple of weeks and try it out though.

Have, and used once, the Exped Air Pillow Mat Pump. Can't say I'm a fan. A good pump but I find the small ripstop stuffsac that came with a Uniclo down jacket (with said jacket inside) is way more comfy... and jacket can be worn if it gets xtra cold too!

Just got this from "poundworld" for, yes, a quid. 16"x10"x3". Weighs 65gm on my crappy kitchen scales. Flock covered for comfort but that might just attract damp, we shall see.

2012_0516pillow0001 by youngray50, on Flickr

2012_0516pillow0002 by youngray50, on Flickr

For those like me, who like a pillow - http://bearbonesbikepacking.blogspot.co.uk/

Both Restlessnatives and my poundland pillow as pictured above burst in use after being leant on, mine on the first time I used it! Even at a quid it's not worth it.

When RNs went on the WRT I thought we were under attack by armed bears! (a bit like Chewbacka)

G

Initially I thought it was my Pacific Outdoor mat that had burst, you can only imagine how happy I was to discover otherwise. Mine went off like a cannon too!

It was worth the quid for the laugh we got out of the explosion

Sorry ... for some reason blogger has decided that it didn't like the post I put up yesterday regarding pillows, I'll try again later. Sorry if anyone wondered what I was going on about :?

s8tannorm wrote:Sorry if anyone wondered what I was going on about :?

I didn't say anything as it wouldn't be the 1st time :D

G

Mended ... I hope

http://bearbonesbikepacking.blogspot.co.uk/

looks interesting, what does it weigh?